Posted by alexandra_k on September 15, 2005, at 19:57:06
In reply to Adam Eve gained knowledge, but it bored Gabbi » alexandra_k, posted by Gabbix2 on September 15, 2005, at 19:37:31
> But then I suppose we'd also have to establish what free will is
Yes :-)
If free will requires that we could have done otherwise from what we do in fact do then we cannot have free will.
Either we have to clarify our concept of free will (so that it is possible for us to have it) or we have to conclude that we don't have free will.
Loads of our concepts are like that. Our 'common-sense' 'pre-theorietical' notions are often deeply incoherant. Thus philsophers engage in 'conceptual analysis' to tidy up these notions. Basically... When you end up with a contradiction then one or the other of your claims has to go... Most philosophers try to come up with a coherant system that isn't toooooo much of an affront to common sense at the end of the day... (So the philsophers definition of knowledge, for example is supposed to provide a judgement of whether certain cases count as knowledge or not that pretty much accords with our pre-theorietic conception of whether it counts as knowledge or not).
There can be conflict between the way people do talk...
And the way people *should* talk (if consistency / coherance is required for the possibility of truth and if truth is what interests us...)
> And, I'm saying this with a smile sistah!:-)
> This is where you and I are Coffee and Tea.
> I hated these types of "if" discussions 10 years ago and I still hate them.:-(
> and I can see how some use it as an excercise in thinking, understanding the world and forming your own beliefs and but it makes me want to just go plant flowers or pet a dog.
okay, fair enough.
i am a thinker...
and you are a doer...
i barely notice the flowers...
i'm too busy trying to figure out whether the flower is red or whether redness is a property of me or is a response dependent property and whether it exists in platos realm of forms or what...
;-)
poster:alexandra_k
thread:553832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050909/msgs/555403.html